"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
- Benjamin Franklin
At Glade Academy we believe that drama education plays a vital role in developing well-rounded individuals. Drama is integral to our school vision in creating well rounded, confident individuals. The use of drama in our curriculum is designed to provide every child with opportunities for creative expression, collaboration, and to build their self-confidence. Through drama, students will develop their imagination, communication skills, empathy, and cultural understanding. Our aim is to foster a love for the performing arts and instil a sense of appreciation for diverse theatrical forms and traditions.
Intent
The study of Drama will develop children's imagination, communication skills, empathy, and cultural understanding. It fosters creative expression, enhances communication skills, promotes collaboration, and builds self-confidence. Drama techniques allow the individual to experience aspects of life and relationships they would not normally experience; to become people they would not normally be and to tell a story alone or with others.
Our aim is to foster a love for the performing arts and instil a sense of appreciation for diverse theatrical forms and traditions. Role-play and other drama techniques can help pupils to identify with and explore characters. In these ways, they extend their understanding of what they read and have opportunities to try out the language they have listened to. Drama and role-play can contribute to the quality of pupils’ writing by providing opportunities for pupils to develop and order their ideas through playing roles and improvising scenes in various settings. Pupils should be encouraged to use drama approaches to understand how to perform plays and poems to support their understanding of the meaning. These activities also provide them with an incentive to find out what expression is required, so feeding into comprehension. Drama provides the context to improve writing skills, to develop realistic dialogue and to extend vocabulary. Improvisation and storytelling develop children’s understanding of narrative structure with a consequent impact on speaking and writing skills.
All pupils should be enabled to participate in and gain knowledge, skills and understanding associated with the artistic practice of drama. Pupils should be able to adopt, create and sustain a range of roles, responding appropriately to others in role. They should have opportunities to improvise, devise and script drama for one another and a range of audiences, as well as to rehearse, refine, share and respond thoughtfully to drama and theatre performances.
Implementation
We will implement our drama curriculum intent through the following strategies:
- Specialist Staff: We will employ qualified and experienced teachers who will deliver high-quality lessons that incorporate drama into them, such as; practical workshops, performances, and group activities.
- Resources and Facilities: We will provide appropriate resources, including props, costumes, and a dedicated drama space, to enhance students' learning experiences and support their engagement in practical drama activities.
- Extra-Curricular Opportunities: We will offer extra-curriculars, school productions, and performance opportunities to provide students with additional chances to explore and develop their drama skills. After school rehearsals will be encouraged to assist with school productions in KS2.
- Collaboration with Other Subjects: We will explore cross-curricular links, particularly with English, History, PSHE and Music, to enrich students' learning experiences and enhance their understanding of distinct aspects of the performing arts.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
To ensure the successful implementation of our drama curriculum, we will:
- Regularly review and update our drama curriculum to reflect best practice and meet the needs of our students.
- Seek feedback from students, parents, and staff through surveys and discussions to assess the effectiveness of the drama curriculum and identify areas for improvement.
- Monitor students' progress and development in drama through assessments, observations, and portfolios, tracking their growth in key skills and competencies.
- Provide professional development opportunities for drama staff to enhance their teaching skills and keep up to date with developments in drama education.